Slipping Away
by tithe77
Summary: OneShot. OWKB. Five years after she graduated. War finally ends, but Oliver is fatally hit and slips away from Katie. Minimal Angst.


Author: tithe77

Rating: T

Summary: One-Shot. Oliver is hit fatally in the final war against the Dark Lord. His wife-to-be, Katherine Bell, watches as he slips away.

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I had cried. Oh, how many tears had been shed. At first we, my baby and I, cried for joy when the news announced that Harry had killed Voldemort at last.

Then the owl arrived. After all these years, I still remember clearly what it said.

_Dear Miss Bell,_

_We regret to inform you that Oliver John Wood has sustained a fatal injury in the war against the now vanquished Dark Lord. It is with utmost graveness that we need you at his side. Mr Wood is now in a deep sleep and our Healers say that he will not see the sunrise. We urge you to come to St. Mungo's immediately._

_Deepest condolences,_

_Fern Herkk, Director of St. Mungo's..._

I had rushed upon reading the first line. This time, tears of grief poured down my cheeks. Yet they were tears of hope. Hope, that the Healers were wrong, that Oliver was alright and would come smiling out of his ward. But deep down I knew. The Healers were rarely wrong.

Running down the corridors, my vision a blur.

There he was! My Oliver. Mine. My Oliver. whose blood ran through the veins of the sleeping baby in my arms. My Oliver, who had courted me for so long under the moonlight. My Oliver, who had yelled and gotten jealous because of me. My Oliver, who now lay in the white bed, motionless.

"Oliver, wake up." My voice was rough with tears. "Wake up, Oliver."

My baby woke. Normally a noisy baby, he now stretched out his little hand to touch his father's. Another tear ran down my cheek as Oliver responded to his son's touch by opening his eyes.

"Katie..." he rasped. His hand, callused with the marks of an experienced Quidditch player, cupped my cheek, smearing away my tears.

I moved to kiss him softly on the cheek.

"Now this ain't a Quaffle." I placed the baby gently in his arms.

"No, it's not."

I sat down on the chair beside his bed, watching as Oliver played with his tiny son till he fell asleep. All too soon, Oliver closed his eyes and breathed shallowly.

The Healer took the sleeping baby away quietly. I sat on the side of the bed, cradling Oliver's head in my lap. I willed him to breathe, even as his breaths grew shallower.

I caressed his brown hair, traced his eyebrows. A teardrop fell and was lost in the thick head of hair. Then another.

Suddenly his eyes opened, and he grabbed my hand.

"Katie..."

"Oliver, you should rest." My voice sounded strange to my ears.

"Katie... I... I..." he trailed off. His eyes closed. With the last bit of strength, he pushed the silver band onto my finger. And he breathed no longer.

"Oliver, I love you." I whispered desperately.

-------

I cried, of course I cried. That whole year I was filled with sadness. It came to a point that when I went "Muggle", whenever I heard the song "Goodbye My Lover" by James Blunt I would burst into tears, startling everyone near me. "Free Loop" by Daniel Powter also set me off.

I always woke up to a feeling that nothing would be the same anymore.

My dreams always sent me back to the ward, to the bed, to my dying Oliver. My memories of him would flash together, and I kept hearing a voice scolding me for not cherishing Oliver when I had him.

In my dreams I always ended up yelling.

_Ollie! Can you hear me, Oliver? I've woken up already! Won't you open your eyes and wake up? Why? Why won't you? Why? I can't take it anymore..._

But the Oliver on the bed never woke up, no matter how loud I yelled...

-------

Can you hear me, Oliver? I miss you so much.

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I took off the ring for a closer look last week. I half-smiled, half-cried. Inscribed on the simple silver ring were the words, _Oliver and Katie Wood. Love surpasses death._

George, who accompanied him to buy the ring, told me that he did it a month before war broke out..

Maybe he knew he might be gone. Maybe not. But if not, he never knew then how this message would help me get on my feet again.

-------

Can't you hear me Oliver? I love you.

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I got back to my job at the Ministry. I named my babe Jason Oliver Wood and registered my name officially as Katherine Wood.

I attended Harry and Ginny's wedding and saw Hermione and Ron's triplets.

I later quit my job when Jason got too big (five years of age) and too expensive to live on the small income, and took up the position of Quidditch instructor at Hogwarts.

And Jason has learned how to fly.

-------

You've gone somewhere I can't bring you back, where you can't come back from. But Oliver, love surpasses death.

I still wonder if you heard me that day.

If not... I miss you Oliver.

I love you.

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Tithe77: Hope you've enjoyed this one-shot. Please review and tell me what you thought about it. Thanks for reading.


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